trails
by closingdoors
Summary: A fill for the prompt: "My tent just broke and I'm not about to sleep by myself in there now, so can you scoot over?". Castle, Beckett, and the rest of the team decide to take a trip to the woods. COMPLETE.


_Written for the prompt "My tent just broke and I'm not about to sleep by myself in there now, so can you scoot over?" from the castlefanficprompts tumblr. __Set in some beautiful version of season three after Castle breaks up with Gina, but Kate is no longer with Josh at this time. _

* * *

I'll trace your many trails with my tongue  
until you let a slight moan leave your lips  
and then to the latter I will always return  
because my fingers hunger for your body  
but the rest of me thirsts for your kiss  
**\- Standing Shower, ; **

* * *

She cannot _believe _she had agreed to this.

Logically, it made a little sense. First it had just been her and Lanie planning a weekend away on the grounds by her dad's cabin, camping together - they'd done it before and, although Lanie disliked camping a little, had always had a fun time.

But of course, fresh in a relationship with Esposito, Lanie had asked to invite him along. Yet Esposito refused to spend a whole weekend with them both - and Beckett _really _didn't want to be the third wheel for a whole weekend - so he had invited Ryan along, along with Jenny. Soon enough Castle had been bouncing up to her and asking her the address for her father's cabin.

Her father had been amused at the amount of them that had piled up to his place. She and Castle in her car, with the two couples in Ryan's car, abandoning the vehicles outside his place and had begun their hike down to the spot in the woods Kate loved camping in; near to a lake but secluded enough to be away from couples on vacation in the area. And it had been _fun - _spending time with her friends. She'd taught Ryan how to make s'mores without burning his fingers and teased Castle about being afraid of the woods, and had enjoyed a couple beers with her friends around a campfire before they'd all retired to bed.

But _now._

Now, she can hear Lanie giggling and as happy as she is for her friends, there's no way she wants to _hear _them. Why hadn't she thought it through when she'd pitched her tent earlier?

Outside, she hears footsteps, the crunching of leaves. Kate groans, swiping a hand across her eyes and reaching for her torch.

Before she can, however, someone unzips the front of her tent.

She reaches for the nearest object she can find - one of Castle's hardbacks - and prepares herself to attack the intruder, until _Castle _pops his head through the flaps and almost blinds her with his torch.

"Jesus, Castle," she says, voice rough with sleep, holding a hand up to her eyes. "I can't see."

"Oh," he looks down at his torch, pointing it down to the earth so that all she can see are the shadows of his face. "Sorry."

Kate huffs, laying back down with a sigh. "What d'you want, Castle? Scared of the big bad wolf out there again?"

"Uh, no, actually," he says, eyes roaming over her face. "My tent just broke and I'm not about to sleep by myself in there now, so can you scoot over?"

She jerks back upright, startled. "Castle, no - "

"_Please," _he whines. "The whole thing collapsed on me and I barely managed to escape it without suffocating to death, and I don't really want to sleep on the ground because what if there _are _wolves? Do you really want to wake up to my mangled, ravaged body?"

Kate rolls her eyes. "Share with Espo."

"Uh, unless I'm hearing things, I'm _pretty _sure I don't want to be in that tent with him and Lanie right now."

Well, at least she's not the only one who's been suffering through listening to her friends getting it on. But this is _Castle. _She can't share a tent with him - not now that they're both single, not on a cool summer night like this when she might be tempted to curl up against him for warmth instead of donning another sweater.

Ah - then again, he doesn't _know _she's single.

"There's not much room," she hedges.

Castle rolls his eyes. "This is a two man tent. You share it all the time with Lanie!"

"That's because she's _Lanie _and not you!"

"Kate, please," he whines again, pouting, and she rolls her eyes, shuffling herself and her sleeping bag to the left side of the tent, further away from the noise of Lanie and Esposito. "Thank you!"

He wiggles inside the tent, pulling his sleeping bag along with him and it's too much. Already the tent is warmer and he's only wearing sweats and a t-shirt that clings to the swell of his biceps. God, he could _ruin _her.

She averts her eyes, reaching over instead to close the tent again as Castle shuffles into his sleeping bag. This is ridiculous.

"Where's the rest of your stuff?" She asks, making sure she tucks all of her limbs back into her sleeping bag and zips it all the way up.

"Somewhere in the tornado of my tent. I'll get it in the morning," he tells her, snuggling down beside her. She can feel his breath against his ear.

"You're gonna get cold in just that t-shirt," she points out. "You need a sweater."

Castle wiggles his eyebrows at her, smirking. "Feel free to warm me up any time you want, Detective."

Kate rolls her eyes, fumbling for the torch he's left on. For a moment she sees the pure innocent intentions of his lurking clearly in the playful smile of his lips, but the darker pools of his eyes show her that he feels the sparks between them in this small space too.

"Goodnight, Castle," she says pointedly, switching off the torch and submerging them in darkness.

"Goodnight, Kate," he murmurs back, and she closes her eyes and wills herself not to think about falling asleep to that voice every night for the rest of her life.

* * *

Eventually, Lanie's giggles subside and are replaced by the gentle sounds of the crickets and small animals bustling between the trees. It's beautiful, and peaceful, and she breathes in and out slowly, relishing this moment.

But she can feel Castle laying completely stiff beside her, making sure he doesn't move an inch so that she won't threaten him with her gun and kick him out of the tent. Honestly, he should know her better than that by now. She's not gonna kick him out in the _cold._

"Okay, this is ridiculous," she announces, startling him. "You can move, Castle. Or at least try and sleep."

He grunts, rolling so that his back is turned to her and now that her eyes are adjusted to the darkness she thinks she can see goosebumps on the back of his neck. Oh, he must be cold.

Without thinking, she reaches out, palms the soft, cold skin there. Castle's muscles bunch beneath her touch and he goes absolutely still, not breathing.

"You must be freezing," she comments, growing braver now and shuffles closer to him, pressing the front of her body up against his back and hoping the warmth of her can heat him up even with the layers of their clothing and sleeping bags between them and oh, why the hell has she been resisting him for all of this time and why exactly is this a bad idea again?

"Kate," he practically growls, sending a shiver throat her and she lets one of her arms wind around him as she presses her forehead between his shoulder blades.

"Mhm?"

This is dangerous now, her hand questing until it is low on his navel, her fingers caressing, bunching up the t-shirt he's wearing until she can find his skin. It ripples beneath her touch and he groans her name again, a warning, but he smells so _good, _all earthy and masculine so she lifts up on one elbow, presses her lips against the skin beneath his ear and grinning as he shivers. Her fingers flirt with the waistband of his pants and that seems to be the last straw for him.

He spins, fierce and dangerous and as she pushes her away, holding himself up a little awkwardly to set her hands above her head, she feels an all too familiar ache throbbing between her legs.

"You have to _stop, _Beckett," he tells her, something desperate and rough and _longing _in his voice and oh god she wants his teeth on her skin. "We - you're with Josh, and it's just heat of the moment - "

Kate shakes her head, skin flushed. "I'm not... we broke up."

Surprise ricochets through him, the grip he has on her hands tightening. It makes her lips fall open on a soundless moan as her hips arch up into nothing. She needs him. Right now.

"When?"

He's demanding, so different to the gentle author she's falling for and it's _so _doing it for her.

"A couple weeks ago. He - thought I was cheating on him," she admits, letting her eyes fall to his lips and why on Earth are they talking about her ex when they could be getting naked instead? "With you."

Castle growls, leaning down to take a fierce kiss from her. It steals her breath, ending with a low sob from her as his teeth tease her lower lip with not so gentle nips before sucking, soothing.

"It's not just a one time thing, Kate. We can't be like that," he murmurs, and she nods against him.

"More," she breathes, and tries to lift her head, kiss him again. "More, Castle."

But then he's kicking away his sleeping bag, releasing his hands to unzip hers and she reaches greedily for him but he rolls her, pushing her down on her front and pressing his chest against her back. The weight makes her whimper and then he's peppering kisses along the length of her neck, making her squirm beneath him, seeking some kind of friction as her nipples pebble at the feel of his hot, wet breath against her jaw.

His hands trip down her sides, too slow and lazily and she whines, wiggles her ass against his crotch and grinning when he lets out a low groan.

"Rick," she pants when his fingers flirt with the waistband of her pajama bottoms and _damn it, _if she'd known this was going to happen she definitely would've worn nicer underwear. She groans thinking about the horrendous, practical underwear she's currently wearing and he mistakes it as a groan of pleasure, which she gives him, because then his fingers are sliding beneath her panties and _oh -_

She should've known. Should've known that he'd be good with his fingers, after all of the amazing words he writes with them. He's stopped kissing her neck, simply resting his mouth against the back of it and letting his fingers doing all the work, softly stroking her until she jerks her hips up, up, helping him find the space he needs and then he's got two fingers inside of her.

"Oh," she lets out, forehead pressing harshly against the floor of the tent. It's rocky and uncomfortable but she doesn't care, lets her hips undulate in rhythm with Castle's fingers and oh god this is _actually happening. _There's no going back now.

"Yes," she hisses when his thumb presses against her clit, jerking against him and she feels his smile against her skin.

"You like that?"

His voice is gravelly and rough and _fuck, _she's going to fall apart too soon. She can't find words and she twists her head, trying to find his lips but all she finds is the skin of his bicep. He slips a third finger inside of her as she spreads her legs wider and _curls _and then she's sobbing her release into his skin.

His fingers are soft and gentle, stroking, when she comes down from her high. It makes her thighs twitch as he touches the oversensitive nerves and she lifts her head, nudging it against his forehead and she takes the hint, moving away until his weight is off of her and he's laying back beside her again.

Breath still shallow, she turns to him, eyes wide and drinking him in between the shadows.

There's something vulnerable on his face; anxious. Oh. He doesn't trust that this is more than a one time thing?

Limbs still shaky and weak, she somehow finds enough strength to stretch her leg over his hip, curling a hand around the back of his neck to pull him to her. He comes easily, kissing her softly and it's just as perfect as his rough kisses. She could stay like this forever, kissing lazily in the quiet, tongue sliding against his while they share the same breath.

Eventually, they break away, and he's smiling.

"So as great as that was and everything," she murmurs, "I want _all _of you."

"Kate, we don't have to - "

He stops speaking when she palms him through his sweatpants, mouth wet and lazy against his. Instead he groans, and she tugs him towards her until she's rolling on her back and he's between her legs and _yes, _this is what she'd wanted.

Impatient now, Kate twines her arms around his neck, wrapping her legs around his waist and dipping her toes beneath the waistband of his pants.

"Take these _off," _she whines, and he laughs against her lips.

"You haven't taken _your _clothes off," he points out.

"My underwear is hideous."

Castle laughs again, tugging off his pants but it's too dark to get a good look at him. He peels her sodden panties and pajama bottoms from her legs, kissing his way back up and she grips his hair, tugging him back up to her before he can get any ideas. He slips his hands beneath her t-shirt and her sweater, hands spanning the circumference of her waist and of course she should've known he would dwarf her. Before she has the chance to grow restless again, he's pulling the clothing over her head, throwing it on his sleeping bag.

He settles between her legs again and she feels the weight of him brush against her, making her back arc. He's staring at her chest, tripping down her navel and along the curve of her waist.

"You're staring," she chides.

"You're beautiful."

She blinks at that, a little stunned at the emotion in his eyes, but then he's lowering his mouth to her left breast and she lets out a soft sigh.

He's _just _about to push into her and she's _so _ready for it, when he pauses, attempting to lift away.

"Woah," she clings to him, pulls him back down on her. "What're you doing?"

"I don't have any condoms, Kate," he tells her, kissing her regretfully.

"It's okay. I'm on the pill."

"Kate, I don't - "

"It's _okay, _Castle. I want this," she attempts to go for sultry, but she thinks her voice is a little too emotional.

He kisses her, soft and slow, and her fingertips tickle against his cheek gently. He's going to ruin her, this man.

Finally, _finally, _he enters her and their mutual moans linger in the air. He leans down until their chests are brushing, his nose in her hair and mouth against her ear.

"We've got to be _quiet, _Kate," he teases, thrusting into her slowly and deeply.

Her eyes roll into the back of her head. She's loud, normally - and with him, like this, she doesn't know how she's going to hold back.

He sets up a rhythm soon enough and her hands explore the muscles of his back. The way they contract and pull and bunch as he moves, so much power. This may be a little slow and she _likes _that, but she knows that if she asked for rough, she would _get it._

His lips catch on her collarbone, sucking and she whimpers, wants to tell him not to be too rough because she doesn't know how to hide the hickey but then his teeth graze against her skin and she gives up all hope on words. She hikes her legs up, criss-crossed around his waist and his hands slip under her hips, lifting her up slightly. He grins at the surprised look on her face as he slides deeper, perfect and everywhere and she's biting down on her bottom lip so hard to hold back her moans.

Normally, like this, on her back, she wouldn't get anywhere close to release. But he's so fucking _amazing _at this and he's made her boneless beneath him, especially when his tongue licks a trail down her chest, swirling around a nipple. Her back arcs sharply, fingers fisting in his hair as she whines.

"Castle," she pants. "I'm gonna..."

One of his hands slips from beneath her hips, finds her clit and then she's gone, falling, and she means to hold back her moans, she really does, but he drives her crazy, and he's spilling into her, warm and perfect inside of her and she hopes her friends aren't awake to hear this.

Castle holds himself up on his forearms after, staring down at her, panting.

"Not just a one time thing," he repeats.

She nods, and she slips from her, making her whimper at the loss. He moves to lay beside her, pressing his chest against her back and oh god she just had _sex _with Castle in a tent surrounded by their friends and now he's _spooning _her.

"Are you freaking out?" He murmurs against her shoulder.

"No," she says, and it's true. She laces her fingers with his over her stomach and sighs, feeling sleep clinging to the edges of her vision. "I'm happy."

She doesn't hear what he says after, falling into sleep too quickly.

She doesn't think she needs to guess.

* * *

They're up and dressed before everyone else, cooking breakfast. He cops a feel of her ass every now and then and she slaps his arm while eyeing the tents that hold their friends. Maybe they could go again.

And they do. Sneak off into the woods and she can't believe she has sex with him against a _tree. _Not that it wasn't good. She's just glad she had her jacket to protect her back from the rough bark of the tree.

He's got that gloating, satiated look on her face when their friends emerge from their tents, and she's afraid he's going to give them away. She makes sure to sit far away enough from him so that her body language doesn't scream _I just spent half an hour moaning Castle's name._ She's not exactly sure, however, how to get him to stop looking at her like he's seen her naked. Their friends don't need to know that.

"Woah, what happened to your tent, bro?" Esposito asks, looking at Castle's tent as Lanie plops down next to her.

Castle sighs dramatically. "It was the wolves that attacked."

Lanie snorts beside her as Kate reaches out to nudge his leg with her foot. "Liar. You just don't know how to put up a tent."

"I do too know how to put up a tent!" He argues, pouting.

Jenny giggles, sitting opposite them with Ryan's arm around her.

"Wait - if your tent broke, where'd you sleep?" Esposito asks, glancing between him and Kate warily.

Ah. Crap.

"It only broke this morning," Castle lies easily, and she relaxes again. "Lucky for me."

"That's strange. We though we heard you wandering around last night, didn't we, Jenny?" Ryan says, and his fiancée nods along.

"I - uh - needed the bathroom," he says.

Lanie laughs beside Beckett and exchanges a look with Esposito. Kate glares at her friend. She doesn't like that laugh. That's an all too knowing laugh. That's an _I know you had sex and I'm going to drop you in it _laugh. Oh, no.

"Honey, I love you, but none of us are buying that," Lanie says, resting her hand on Kate's thigh.

"It's the truth," Kate insists, glancing over at Castle.

"Kate," Lanie laughs, fingers brushing against a spot beneath her jaw. "We'd probably believe you if it wasn't for that _huge _hickey you have on your neck there, and the fact _all _of us heard you two last night."

Kate gasps as the colour drains from Castle's face. He hadn't mentioned anything earlier - it must've been from the trees just now. Oh, she's going to kill him. She's going to get her gun from her bag and she's going to shoot him and he's going to deserve it.

She claps a hand over the hickey, glaring at Castle as the group around them laughs. He sends her a sheepish look and Esposito claps him on the back while Ryan reaches across to fist bump him. Oh, yes, she is _definitely _going to kill him.

"Laugh all you want," she tells him, "but I'd like to see you explain yourself to my dad when we get back to the cabin tomorrow."

That stops his laughter, and she smirks, turning to Lanie and accepting her congratulating hug.

She's so glad she agreed to this.

* * *

**The End **


End file.
